Following a historic win at Switzerland’s Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) – one of the world’s premier genre cinema events – Nagvlug Films has officially released the international trailer for their acclaimed Afrikaans-language arthouse horror, Hen .
Hen made history as the first African film to win the prestigious H.R. Giger Narcisse Award for Best Feature Film in the festival’s 25-year run, landing writer-director Nico Scheepers the top honour alongside a CHF 10,000 prize.
Key Highlights
10th Award Milestone: The Neuchâtel victory marks the 10th award for Hen .
In Legendary Company: Previous Narcisse winners include genre classics such as Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, Gaspar Noé’s Climax, Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room, and André Øvredal’s Troll Hunter.
Critical Praise: Hailed by Daily Maverick as “a masterclass… likely to haunt you long after the credits roll” and by Netwerk24 as “probably the darkest film made in Afrikaans to date.”
Premise & Creative Vision
Set on an isolated farm, Hen follows a devout man who discovers a young boy locked inside a wooden chest, surrounded by corpses, and decides to bring him home to his wife.
The film eschews traditional horror tropes in favour of deep atmospheric tension, drawing heavily on director Nico Scheepers’ upbringing on a remote farm in Limpopo.
A Masterclass in Restraint
Unconventional Scripting: The cast workshopped the story directly from a 17-page treatment rather than a traditional screenplay.
Mythic Black-and-White: Cinematographer Chris Lotz shot the period film in stark black-and-white to give the story an “earthed, almost archaeological” feel.
Oppressive Silence: Sound designer Tim Pringle eliminated the musical score entirely. The film features no dialogue for the first 18 minutes, relying strictly on ambient natural sounds like wind, birds and creaking wood.
“I find the silence of isolation far more terrifying than a jump scare. There’s a big difference between a cheap physical fright and something that slowly bores into your brain like a maggot.” – Nico Scheepers, Writer-Director
Praise & Recognition
What the Neuchâtel jury said: “Its striking portrayal of an insidious evil that takes hold of a devout community against an apocalyptic backdrop, brought to life by remarkably skillful direction and the unforgettable perspective of a young boy.”
South African Cinema on the Global Stage
Hen is presented by kykNET Films and produced by Nagvlug Films (the team behind the post-COVID box-office hit My F*k, Marelize! as well as award-winning series Donkerbos and Nêrens, Noord-Kaap).
The triumph at Neuchâtel joins a growing wave of global accolades for the South African Afrikaans film industry, including Variations on a Theme winning Best Film at Rotterdam, The Heart Is A Muscle receiving the Ecumenical Jury Prize at Berlin, and Koek securing an International Emmy nomination.
“This is the first African film to win the top prize at Neuchâtel but I doubt it will be the last. Our industry is export-ready and we are excited to see more films from South Africa presented on the global stage.” – Zandré Coetzer, Co-founder & Producer, Nagvlug Films
What’s Next for Nagvlug Films
Building on this momentum, Nagvlug Films is preparing for its next slate of releases: Scheepers’ Landmyn (Landmine)
Coetzer’s Silas en die Ysbeer op Tafelberg (Silas and the Polar Bear on Table Mountain)
Both projects will premiere at the Silwerskerm Festival in August 2026 before heading to South African theatrical releases in September 2026.